Room Reno #66: Autumn Office

Meet Shayla!

Shayla is a Sim who loves fall (a girl after my own heart, to be honest–fall is the best season! other than the allergies. those are the worst). She loves the autumn so much that she wants her office to be filled with the colors and vibes of a forest walk on a cool morning. What I wouldn’t give to have that soon…(I live in a place with no seasons. I’m still not used to it). Luckily, I can live vicariously through my Sims and watch THEM have an amazing fall, complete with Granite Fall hikes and dog walks. It’s fine! I’m not bitter.

Okay, maybe a little bit, but that’s because drinking hot coffee in hot weather is the worst and I just want to order a hot latte without sweating. Is that too much to ask? My coffee problems aside, I just love the fall, and I can’t wait to do some autumn inspired renovations starting with this one! I’ve done a lot of office builds throughout this series, but I have to admit that I’m often torn between cute, poppy pastels and the richer hues of the fall/winter color palettes. Since the last few offices I’ve done have been pastel based, I’m really excited to get to use my other favorite types of colors and see what I can create. Let’s see what we’re working with!

The Before

Alright reno people, let’s see how we can fix this super dreary room. Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but it definitely needs some work. Number one, the exterior door has to go. It just doesn’t make sense where it is, and it totally ruins the flow of the room. I debated adding archways into the interiors of the house instead of doors, but I ultimately decided that having a private office space was probably more important than incorporating it into the greater floor plan like it would be if it were a living area or kitchen. This build has tall walls, which is one of my greatest pet peeves, but I decided to keep them in order to keep using the nice tall windows that are already in the room. Maybe one day I’ll stop universally disliking the taller wall heights…but that day has not come yet.

Overall, the shape of the room is pretty good for an office! My one concern IRL would be that the computer really can’t be placed anywhere central without it being impossible to use. If it faces the window, then the sun will get in the user’s eyes as they work, but if it faces away from the window, then the sun will reflect off the computer screen and make it impossible to do any kind of work. I know that getting sunlight while you work is important and good for you, but I would probably end up taking the computer somewhere else if this was real life. Or maybe I’d just get some bigger curtains…either way, times like this make me glad that the Sims is a game that skews away from the little annoyances of real life most of the time. Building would be impossible otherwise!

The Planning

Planning time! It wasn’t until I went to take this overhead screenshot that I noticed that this home has a basement, and it’s actually furnished! Just a neat detail for anyone using one of the prebuilt homes from the High School Years pack. Anyway, the desk is obviously going to be front and center in this room, which is one thing that the original layout really got right. I’m moving the bookshelves to the left and replacing them with a fireplace. I wish fireplaces were this easy to move or add in real life, because I feel like they make every space feel neat and classy. I can just imagine Shayla doing her work in front of this one when it gets chilly.

I struggled a little bit when it came to filling up the rest of the room. Because it’s such a small space, I couldn’t add any activities very easily. I debated adding a chess table, but having two chairs would have taken up too much space (I know that Sims can gain skills by playing alone, but I like the look of two chairs a lot better than just one). I managed to sneak in a painter’s easel and a sitting area, along with an accent table that has a small coffee bar on it. I think all of these small details will really help bring the room to life and make it feel fleshed out as opposed to the empty feeling it had before. Alright, time to get building!

The After

I’m pretty surprised at how this build turned out in the end, but I’m also really happy with it. When I first started building, I actually chose this desk chair first, and I thought the entire room was going to be made up of red furniture with a few cool neutrals to even it out. Ultimately, though, I think this red shade works best as an accent feature and not the dominant color for the entire room. I’m sure some builders could make it work, but for now I’ll leave that up to the masters. I’m a big fan of how the extra chair fits into the room. That corner had really been vexing me as I tried to figure out what fit best there, but that chair really spoke to me as I scrolled through the catalog and I’m so glad I used it.

Thanks for checking out Room Reno #66 here at The Sims Resource! If you liked this blog, check out Room Reno #65: Sunny Living Room or a Back to School CAS Showcase.  Looking for something else? Read about the CAS from our K-Pop Collection or about the latest game updates! Have a great day 😎